Secondary Education Costs in Malawi: What Financial Barriers Persist?

Secondary Education Costs in Malawi: What Financial Barriers Persist?
Abstract: In Malawi, fewer than half of primary school students transition to public secondary schools, with the transition rate increasing from 37% in 2021 to 43% in 2022. Students who enroll in a Form 1 school often have to travel long distances or board, and the cumulative costs of secondary education pose a financial burden for many families. The Malawi Ministry of Education (MoE) announced a 2018–19 strategy to increase secondary school enrollment.

This brief presents quantitative and qualitative data triangulated from the Malawi SEED midline impact evaluation survey respondents, including rural students, their caregivers, and head teachers about perceived and actual barriers to educational achievement, including the financial costs of sending children to school. A corresponding brief from baseline evaluation data was published in 2022.
Shortname: FS-24-666
Author(s): Data for Impact
Year: 2024
Language: English
Region(s): MALAWI
Filed under: Brief, education, Malawi, midline